They go out of their way to give the impression that it is in front of a live audience, and then they use those disgusting laugh tracks (though not as disgusting as John Oliver's Last Week)
HAIL Bill Maher LIVE Real Time!!!!
there is an audience, einstein
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Love means never having to say you're ugly. - The Abominable Dr. Phibes
the sound track can be independent of the audience, in my opinion the laughs are edited track
(I suppose next you'll tell me John Oliver is filmed before an audience eh?
In your opinion. OK.
Yes, John Oliver has an audience too.
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Love means never having to say you're ugly. - The Abominable Dr. Phibes